Behnaz Fattahi Import and export database information
Import and export database information You can import data that you get from other applications into your web office database and export data from the database into other applications. Importing copies existing data from a text file to your database; exporting copies information from your database to a text file. The Database application imports data from and exports data to text files, Importing existing data saves you the trouble of typing it in by hand. You may need to import data only once, right before people start to use the database. For example, if you create a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database, you could import existing customer information into it. You may also need to regularly import data, for example, from a weekly sales report. Exporting data allows you to use information from your database in another application outside your web office. For example, you may want to export data so that you can open it in Microsoft Excel® for charting or further analysis. Exporting is also an easy way to create a local backup of the data in your database. Importing: Before you import information into your database, it's important to step back and examine both the text file you're importing and the database you're importing it into. You might be tempted to ignore the planning phase and start importing right away, but remember that taking a little time to plan your import now will probably save you a lot of time resolving import errors later on. Here are some things to think about before you import data from a text file: · The file must be a CSV or tab-delimited text file, and you must know which format it's in because you specify the format during the import process. · The database fields must already be defined in your web office database. Importing simply copies data from the text file into fields in your database; it does not create any database fields for you. · Importing is easier when the fields in the text file are in the same order as the fields in the database; that way, there are fewer fields to map. · If your database has required fields, the text file must contain values for each of these fields. · If you are importing phone numbers that include a country code, you must insert a double pipe || between the country code and the rest of the number in your source text file Importing data into compound fields A compound field is one that consists of several parts. For example, a Name field consists of three parts: First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name. Importing data into a compound field requires a little planning. The Database application only imports data into the individual parts of a compound field. This means that you can import "Peter" into the First Name part and "Foley" into the Last Name part. However, you can't import "Peter Foley" into the entire Name field. If the data you wish to import is already divided up into a separate column for each part, simply use the import interface to map the correct column into the correct part. If the data is not divided up into separate columns, see if the program you used to create the text file can export the data into individual parts or columns. Failing that, you can use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel to split up the data for you. Open your text file in Excel, and then use the Data >> Text to Columns command to split the data into separate columns. Importing is an all or nothing operation. If even one error occurs, the Database application cancels the entire import operation. This ensures the integrity of your data. Importing only some of the data could result in inaccurate information in your database. The Database application stops the import process after it encounters 10 errors; possibly leaving some errors unreported. When correcting an import error, be sure to correct all occurrences of the error, not just the reported ones. Importing data into other field types You can import data into any of the field types except for the following: · Built-In (Created, Modified) · Calculated · Contact List · File Attachment · Image · Member List · Unique ID Exporting to text files You can export the data in any view by clicking the Export button at the top of the view. The view determines which data is exported, and how that data is displayed. If the data looks right in the view, it will look right in the exported text file. The export operation produces a text file of the exported data. In order to save this file, your web browser downloads the file to your computer and asks whether you want to open the file or save it. If you choose to save it, the browser also asks where to save the file on your computer Using export to back up a database All the data on your site, including data in your databases, is backed up daily as part of the service. However, these backups are not accessible to you, though you can have data restored from them. If your database contains important information, you might want to use the export functionality to create your own local backup of the data. You can use the export operation to back up a database by creating a view especially for that purpose. Create a view that includes all the fields in the database and name it something you are likely to remember, such as Backup. Be sure that the view does not have any filters defined, as a filter might exclude records from the backup. Then to back up, simply select the view and click the export button. In some cases, you may not wish to back up all the fields in the database, as only some fields may contain critical information. In those cases, adjust the view to only include the fields you wish to back up. Tip: '''If you are backing up a database that includes a database relation field, be sure to also back up the related database. '''Important: The Database application does not export attached files or images, so these fields are not backed up when you export. Section heading Write the first section of your page here. Section heading Write the second section of your page here.